Many of the tenets that apply to social media lead gen also apply to social media selling for e-commerce sites. Of course, you have to choose the right channels and say the right things. And you still have to prioritize engagement over sales. But you can also make things more fun with special offers designed just for your social followers. Plus, e-commerce retailers generally have the advantage of clearer ROI metrics. There’s no arguing with sales, after all.
Before you jump in, though, take a moment to research your competitors. How are they presenting themselves on social media? Are they missing any opportunities? How are they balancing editorial information with sales information?
Now look at your own brand and what you know about driving your customers to buy on your website. Keys to leveraging social media for your own e-commerce sales include:
- Treat social as two-way communication: Go beyond posting links to your sale pages. Instead, strive for engagement and fostering relationships. When followers reach out to you, make sure someone has the tools, expertise, and authority to respond quickly and professionally.
- Track social media referrals and transactions: You will probably see one channel outperforming others; that data tells you how to prioritize resources. Try dabbling in ads on the strongest platform to see if you can get more of those customers.
- Understand social’s place in the purchase process: Review assisted conversion reports in your analytics software. Social may be contributing to your sales, even if it doesn’t show up as the final click before the sale.
- Align social with other promotions: Make sure your social media manager works closely with others in your organization who manage online and offline promotions.
- Tell stories: Find ways to encourage customers to share their experiences with your product. Social is the perfect medium for real customer stories!